


Incomplete

by keepquietplease



Series: Sanders Sides Stories [37]
Category: Sanders Sides (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Merpeople, Alternate Universe - Pirate, Angst with a Happy Ending, Gen, Platonic Cuddling, Platonic Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders, Queer platonic relationships, Well - Freeform, and, but like, but still plenty of that raising a kid together shit, jokes on you all the twins are still brothers, only one of them came out human, their father happened to be a merman
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-10
Updated: 2020-10-10
Packaged: 2021-03-07 22:34:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,246
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26925178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/keepquietplease/pseuds/keepquietplease
Summary: As a merperson, you have dangers.  Collectors, hunters, and big fish.Remus and Janus just want to be a family.
Relationships: Anxiety | Virgil Sanders & Dark Creativity | Remus "The Duke" Sanders & Deceit | Janus Sanders
Series: Sanders Sides Stories [37]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1837975
Comments: 13
Kudos: 80





	Incomplete

**Author's Note:**

  * For [goosi](https://archiveofourown.org/users/goosi/gifts).



> Okay, so this, a smut, then fae because I fucked up reading again. I....I should really get tested again. I know I have ADHD and autism, but I'm struggling with reading more and more. Nothing big, but I keep auto-completing words in my head and then I can't physically read anything but what I think. I spent five minutes reading the request again and going 'ahaha fae story = mermaid story because this request is obviously only one' and then...  
> I....  
> I'm sorry.  
> I'm so sorry.  
> I have to plan for fae now, and please let me know if you want any platonic or romantic or queer platonic relationships

Remus' parents didn't have a traditional relationship. His father was a merman, and his mother was a human. He didn't want to think about how they managed to mate, but they did. His mother got pregnant, had twins, and one of them had fins and gills. Remus lived with their dad, and Roman lived with their mother. They met a couple times, and the twins got along just fine. They'd swim together, and Roman would push Remus around in a cooler full of water if there was something interesting on land. It got harder as they grew older, but Roman learned how to steer a boat to visit. Remus tended to dwell in deep trenches, but he'd return to the surface to see his brother. It got less and less frequent as time went on, but they made it work.

It had been six years. Remus was now eighteen. No word from his brother since they were twelve. It started around the same time Remus met the other mers that lived in the deeper parts of the ocean. Janus and his little brother Virgil. Janus was one year his senior, and Virgil was six years younger than Remus. They were a dying species, in a sense. There was a high demand for merpeople as pets. They had to live deep in trenches, adapting to the darkness and high pressures of the water. Deep enough to escape humans. That's why he and Roman became distant. He befriended pirates, and Remus couldn't afford to continue to risk his life. His father already disappeared, a dried out trophy on someone's wall. 

He was having an isopod battle with Virgil. The game was exactly what it sounded like. They each chose a giant isopod from the ground, and they let them battle it out. Usually the creatures would just climb on each other, but Virgil still got excited if his pick managed to climb over Remus'. Janus watched them, smiling when Remus picked a smaller one so he'd lose on purpose. Virgil found an old one that was less than excited being picked up, but it let him maneuver it. They'd all get little fish as treats for entertaining the three. Virgil cheered the big beast on as it began to crawl towards the smaller one. Janus ruffled his hair, staring up above. Endless deep blue above them. They'd have to find deeper water soon. Humans created new technology to make it down to them. Virgil didn't want to leave, but the older two knew it wouldn't be safe soon. They came in machines that were alien to merpeople. They kept inspecting them and disappearing. Virgil was at the age where everything was interesting. The age where he felt the need to prove he wasn't scared of anything, and that frightened Janus and Remus more than anything.

"Ha! Suck it! Mine won!" Virgil said, receiving a stern look from Janus.

"Language. Who taught you 'suck it'?" 

"Yeah, what the fuck Virgil?" Remus asked with a grin, pushing him gently.

"Remus, don't teach my brother curses!"

"As Virgil would say, suck it."

Janus grumbled, wondering why he loved his dear friend. Virgil stuck out his tongue, laughing when Remus pushed his face back again. "Come on! I'm allowed to curse! I'm old enough! Janus, let me swear. I'm an adult."

"You're twelve. A child. You can curse in only a few circumstances. You break a fin, you get captured, or Remus or I get captured or killed. You can swear then. Otherwise, you have to wait until you're thirteen, and then you have permission to say five swears. I don't think you'll need anymore than those, but you're right. You can tell Remus to suck it. He deserves it."

"Hey, Remus, suck it!"

Remus gasped, flicking Virgil's forehead. "I can't believe you'd do this."

"I--"

Janus held up a hand, silencing them both. They remained quiet, and Janus' eyes widened. "We've got company. We need to go further down. Everyone to the cave."

Virgil patted his isopod before following the orders, followed by the older gentlemen. They often used an underwater cave to go further down since you needed to have cave diving training if you were a human. If you didn't, you'd probably die in the cave, and they didn't mind watching humans choke under the pressure and get lost with no hope of being discovered. Virgil liked watching with Remus, though Janus had his concerns about his brother enjoying watching humans die.

They went deep into the cave, going down until Janus deemed it safe. They stayed close to the wall, waiting. Remus made faces at Virgil to calm him down. A bright light came from above them. It slowly got closer. Janus ushered Virgil behind him and grabbed Remus' hand. Would this be it? The thing--a small, metal machine--drew closer. It blinded the men for a minute before they adjusted to the bright light in their faces. It had something in the claw under its body. A small stone with writing carved into it. It nudged Remus gently, moving away when Janus tried to take the stone. Remus managed to grab it, looking at the words. A message from his brother. He had created this machine with his friends to contact Remus without bringing him into a dangerous situation. There was a camera in the machine that helped them find Remus.

He gripped the rock, inspecting the machine. Virgil peeped over Janus' shoulder, looking at the metallic creature. Remus finally found the camera, smiling.

"It's my brother. We're safe. Oh! I wonder if he can hear us!"

Janus let Virgil go look at it, staying back. He was thrilled Remus' brother was contacting him, but the idea of a machine invading their home and causing unwanted attention was his main concern. What if something bad happened? What if they used Remus' excitement and love to their advantage? They lost so much already. They couldn't lose anymore. Remus wrote a message on the other side of the stone, placing it back in the machine's claw. It began to retreat. Virgil started to swim after it, only to be grabbed by his brother.

"Don't chase it. It may be unsafe. I don't want either of you to get captured. I think we should wait until it comes back with more information. We can't breach the surface."

"But Remus' brother--"

"Virge, your brother is right. We shouldn't get too far up. Roman will send it again. Your safety is more important. Let's go hunting, alright?"

"I wanna hunt angler fish! Let's find those!" Virgil swam off, quickly followed by the older two. They'd address the machine if it came again, but for now they were a happy family.

* * *

"I wanna meet them."

Two years had passed. The metal creature kept returning with rocks and wood that held messages. Virgil became pen-pals with Roman's one friend, Patton. They were iffy about it at the start, but after the first year, it was fine. Patton would send pretty flowers and delicious cookies that would fall apart in the ocean water. It wasn't until recently that Virgil felt the need to meet the humans. The water had been calm lately. There was no one collecting in their part of the ocean. Maybe Roman had something to do with that. Still, the older mers were nervous about letting Virgil come face to face with these humans.

"Are you sure? It could be dangerous, and I don't want to have any incidents." Janus was brushing his hair, picking out seaweed. "Virgil, you need to groom more. There's so much."

"I'm sure! I want to meet them! Please? They're trustworthy! Also, I groom plenty. It's there for aesthetic."

"It's Janus' word at the end of the day. I don't want something bad to happen because we chose the wrong day to reach the surface." Remus was laying on the sandy floor of the ocean, staring up. The boat was barely visible to them, but it was there. It had been for awhile. It would leave for a day or two, but it would return to the same spot.

"I suppose there's no harm in testing it out. Virgil, you have to hold one of our hands the whole time."

Virgil sputtered out protests before grabbing both of their hands. He acted as if he didn't still ask to sleep with the two at night. He could pretend to be a grownup all he wanted, but he was still the same old Virgil. They slowly swam to the surface, pausing for a moment to adjust. They could live in most regions of the ocean, but the adjustment still required breaks. It was warmer as they got closer. Remus inspected above the water first, having to remove Virgil's intense grip. They were all nervous, sure, but Remus and Janus already had this discussion. He would make sure it was safe first, and then they could come up.

"Remus?! Oh my god!" Roman's voice was the first thing he heard. "You're actually here!"

He looked up. His brother was there, as were two men who looked about his age. He grinned, waving. "And you're not trying to capture me instantly. Pleasant surprises for both of us. I was sent as look out. Virgil wants to meet you all. I just needed to check."

One of Roman's friends gasped, covering a smile. That one had to be Patton. He looked overjoyed at the mention of Virgil. "Is he coming?"

"Yeah, he'll be up here once it's deemed safe. Any other ships pass over recently?"

Roman hummed, leaning over the railing. "A few, but no one dared enter the water. We've been keeping tabs on who came into our part of the ocean."

"Good. Let me get the others." Remus dove back down. Virgil was gripping Janus' hand, frowning. He brightened up when he saw Remus.

"You're okay!"

"I'm fine. It's safe to go up. You ready?"

"Maybe? I'm doubting this now. Maybe we shouldn't go up. What if there's collectors?"

Remus looked at Janus. He could easily go up and say Virgil was having second thoughts. That they needed a couple days. That it wasn't safe. Anything really. He could say anything to buy more time. Janus squeezed Virgil's hand, making him look up. "It's alright if you want time. We don't have to see the humans."

"I'm fine!" Virgil defended quickly, grabbing Remus' hand as well. "I just need to protect you two! That's why I'm holding your hands again. Just so you two don't get scared."

"Thank you." Janus ruffled his hair with his free hand, smiling. 

"In fact, I'll lead you up there so we can meet them."

Virgil pulled them to the surface. He paused right before they breached. Remus gave him another squeeze before his head went above the surface. They were still there, looking into the water. Patton looked overjoyed seeing his pen-pal in person. Janus let Virgil go closer, staying with Remus.

"I'm glad we found you." Roman said, a sincere smile gracing his face. "I've been exploring all of the world, and I finally found people who could create machines that would explore deeper. Has it really been so long? How'd you meet these two?"

"Janus and I met during a hunting trip. We both went after the same common mola, and we decided we could split it. He needed help raising Virgil, and I wasn't doing anything with my life. Stop giving me that look. It's not like that. How'd you meet them?"

"Well, Logan was a hired companion for the first year, and Patton snuck aboard when I wasn't looking. We've become a little crew! I have fun with them. We've taken down a few ships, stole from others, and we'll rescue captured merpeople if we come across them. We haven't recently. Not many people around this sector anymore, as I've said. So, can we expect more visits from you three?"

Remus looked at Janus, waiting for his verdict. It was his word in the end. He nodded, sighing. Virgil seemed to be having fun, and that was all that truly mattered to them. As long as they continued to be safe and cautious. Remus gave a thumbs up to his brother, glancing at the younger mer. He was holding a seagull that he caught out of the air, inspecting it. Maybe air would be good for him in the end. There were many creatures he'd never seen, and Patton was happy to share information about the land. Both of them loved seeing Virgil this excited and happy.

"I suppose you can. We'll return to the surface when we can. I can't tell you how often that'll be."

"Hey, sometimes is better than never."

Remus nodded, leaning back in the water. He hoped that what Roman said was true.

* * *

Virgil was supposed to be back an hour ago. He was old enough to venture off on his own now, but they always had a curfew for him. He always came back on time. Usually he came back early just so he wouldn't be late. He wasn't back yet, and Janus was already asking around if anyone had seen him. The dolphins proved to be useless, and one whale was able to recall him going to a boat. They decided to visit Roman's boat. If Virgil was there, they'd embarrass him and demand he return home. If he wasn't there, then. . .

Well, they didn't want to think about that.

They made there way up, sharing a nervous look when they saw two ships in the horizon. Patton was sitting on the deck, lighting up when he saw the two mermen. "Hey, where's Virge?"

Janus inhaled sharply. "You mean he wasn't here?"

"No? I--oh god. Did something happen? Oh gosh, let me grab the others."

"Wait! Did you write down what ships came by?"

Patton nodded quickly, flipping through a notepad he had. "Um, yeah, I have the general descriptions of the ships and names of people we've interacted with. We'll hunt them down. We know where they're heading. If you two want to start off in the west, they shouldn't have gone too far."

Janus started moving as soon as the direction was given. Remus stayed to hear a description of the ship they'd be hunting, but he followed as soon as he got the general idea. They needed to go quickly and destroy any ships they found until Virgil was returned to them. He caught up with Janus, keeping his gaze ahead. They could talk about their feelings once Virgil was safe in their home. For now, they had to search for a boat. Any ship that was big enough to carry a merman. They disregarded the kayaks they saw. Too small to be a threat, and the people on those didn't seem to be disturbing the ocean as much.

They were playing a dangerous game, being this close to the surface. Remus managed to sneak a glance at Janus, and his eyes were filled with murderous intent. They were going to tear whoever stole him limb from limb once they got their hands on them. He could feel the fear that radiated off of the two of them. It was the unthinkable. Something they couldn't have prepared for no matter how hard they tried. The water seemed endless as they continued to swim, keeping their eyes out for anything that matched the description. Nothing. There was nothing.

They swam for miles. They swam into territories they never ventured to before. Any creature that could keep up with them, they told. At one point, a group of tuna told them two ships separated at that point. They took a moment to plan. Janus took his hands, pushing their foreheads together and closing his eyes.

"Be safe. If you find him, bring him home and alert your brother. You can send the humans after me. Just find my fucking brother."

"Of course. I won't rest until I find him. We'll find him again. It'll be okay."

Janus nodded before letting go and taking off. Remus didn't wait too long before turning and going in the opposite direction. He was ready to give the merpeople a bad name. Fuck, they needed to find that ship before they took him onto land. If they put him in a display case or god forbid mounted on a wall, they wouldn't be able to save him. They had to get there before that happened. 

Finally, he saw a ship. He swam under it, looking for windows that happened to be below deck. He had no such luck. He rammed into it, bruising his shoulder. He did it again and again, keeping pace as it moved forward. Finally, he gained attention of someone on board. They looked down into the water, making Remus snap his head up.

"You have a younger looking merman aboard?"

The person on the ship shook their head slowly, mouth agape.

"Ever seen a mer?"

They shook their head again. That explained their expression.

"Cool. I'll stop hitting your boat."

He swam off. If they had Virgil, they'd try to take him as well. Older ones were far more valuable than the younger. They were harder to take down, so they sold for more. He kept swimming, delving a bit deeper underwater so he was positive that they weren't following him. There was another boat ahead. A smaller one, sure, but it could still carry a tank big enough for a person. He checked for windows, overjoyed when he saw them. No rooms contained Virgil. If anything, Remus should leave this ship alone. A lot of anti-collecting flyers were in the room. He could ask them for help, but his shoulder already hurt. He left them, continuing his search. 

He hoped he wasn't already too late.

* * *

Months.

It had been months.

Remus had singlehandedly taken down multiple collector ships just searching. He had almost been captured time and time again, but he always fought back. There was still no sign of Virgil. He honestly didn't know if Janus or his brother found him yet. He was lost. He slept once every fortnight. He couldn't physically sleep until he was at the point of exhaustion. His main concern was finding Virgil, and if he was already found, it was at least getting home. He came across another boat, looking for windows beneath the water. There were windows. No Virgil. Tanks of others, so he quickly got to work destroying the bottom of the ship. He could ask them if they had seen a young boy. How old was he now? His eighteenth birthday would be in two more months. He hoped they found him before then.

Slowly, water began to flood the ship. He swam back, watching. After ten minutes, the bottom half was sunken, and the merpeople were able to escape. They hadn't seen anyone who matched Virgil's description. Even the ones who had been traded from ship to ship. Maybe that was a good thing. It might mean that Virgil was safe. It could also mean they were too late. He sunk to the sandy floor of the ocean. He was so tired. His whole body hurt from the continual swimming. He watched some of the humans drown. Others were on lifeboats. A couple of the merpeople attacked them, which Remus watched with little interest. How long had he been playing this game? Would they ever find Virgil?

He began to swim again. He needed to. If he stayed still, he'd have troublesome thoughts again. He didn't want that. He was getting nervous. He didn't know what creatures lived in this part of the ocean. Would they try to eat him? Would he die without ever telling Janus goodbye? Would his death result in Virgil's? He didn't know. He didn't want to find out. 

How big was the ocean? How long until he returned to his section of the sea? He heard it took humans nine months if they were trained, and he was certainly more experienced than any human. It had been three months. Plus, his brother was on a boat. When would they run into him? Maybe they wouldn't. God, he was tired. He closed his eyes as he kept swimming. For a moment he swore he heard Virgil's voice, so he snapped his eyes open and looked around.

Nothing. No one for miles. He held his breath, but the voice didn't return. Was he hallucinating? Dear lord, he hoped not. Chances were yes. He heard Janus behind him, but no one was there when he turned around. It was directly behind him. No chances of Janus being out of sight. He was hearing things. Stress, exhaustion, and guilt forced him to hear the voices of his found family crying out to him. He kept swimming, not sure which direction he was going anymore. It didn't matter, did it? As long as he continued to find ships. 

He started asking people in canoes and kayaks if they had seen Virgil. One person mentioned she saw someone matching that description a week ago, heading southwest of their location.

Hope. Virgil was still out there. He was there recently. He was alive. Remus thanked the woman before taking off, heading in the direction she said he went. 

He would find him.

* * *

The hallucinations increased. Sometimes he could feel Janus holding him tight, and he watched as a false image of Virgil swam around looking for new sea creatures to inspect. Janus' soft humming would fill his ears as he drowned in his intense feelings of loneliness. One hallucination of Virgil had been following him for three days now. At first it spoke, thanking Remus for finding it. He heard that one before, so he kept moving. The hallucination followed, asking if he was mad at it. He ignored it, focused on finding the real Virgil. It stayed close by, now silent for the majority of the time. Every now and then, it'd tell him to sleep. It'd say it was tired, and they both need to rest before they die by falling asleep in dangerous territories. He'd listen each time, letting the apparition curl up next to him as Virgil once did.

It was strange. As if he could hear Virgil's heartbeat when it did so.

He would occasionally respond to the apparition. When it worried about getting back home. When it asked him to tell him a story. When it generally reminded him of the real Virgil. He was laying down next to it, staring up. The hallucination turned to face him.

"Does Janus miss me?" It asked, not making eye contact.

"Of course he does. We both do."

"You don't act like you miss me."

"I haven't found you yet. I'm hallucinating. You're not real."

It scoffed, turning away. "I'm real. I don't know how many times I have to tell you that. I finally managed to find you. Are you mad? Do you hate me for being captured?"

"Once I say you're real, you'll disappear. That's what happens each time I suggest you aren't part of my imagination. Even if you're real, I don't know how to get us home."

"I do. I know how to get back home. I memorized their maps when I was in the collecting boat. I spent six months on that boat before escaping. The map was the only thing that kept me entertained. If we keep going, we'll be back in our spot. I just want to see Janus again."

"I don't know where your brother is. We separated to find you. I've run into Roman's machine, and Janus is staying with their boat now. If you're real, they'll see you the next time it comes across us. That means we can go home." Remus reached out, taking its hand. "You're too old for cuddling, aren't you?"

"I mean, I've been through some shit. I kind of need a hug."

Remus spooned it. It began to snore softly, and Remus felt himself drift off as well. Maybe this was Virgil. He secretly hoped so. He just didn't want to get his hopes up. He wanted to have his little family again. To just go back to their old life. He was scared. Scared that this wasn't real. That he'd wake up alone and have to continue his search alone. He whistled softly, easing himself into slumber. He could tell himself Virgil was real for the night, but by tomorrow it'd be back to normal. He wouldn't admit anything until someone else saw the younger one next to him.

Until then, he'd pretend.

* * *

They made it back home. The boat was there, as was Janus. Remus prayed that this was truly Virgil. That he hadn't lost his mind. If he had, who said the boat and Janus were real? He got confirmation a week ago from a surfer. They pointed out that Virgil was next to him. He was now more confident that he was real. Thus, he managed to make it back with Virgil's instructions. Janus looked up from his spot when he heard the movement. His eyes widened at the sight, darting to them and encompassing both men into a close hug.

"Oh god. I missed you both. You found him."

The embrace tightened as Virgil reciprocated, and it got more constricted when Remus joined. 

They were finally complete.

**Author's Note:**

> Author fact: I had my first midterm this week, so, yeah, this took me six years to write. I've been studying since last Friday, and it was yesterday (Friday (praying I post this on time)). Sorry. I'm alive and writing. Just... just a lot on my plate. I did say this would take longer as my university began classes. If you didn't see my personal thing I posted on my account, I'm having a time. That's the short version. I did write my coming out story for a university magazine. I'll update you if it makes it in.
> 
> Also, I do read through these and edit, but at the top I mentioned sometimes my brain won't let me see the actual words or sentences because it just alters them. If you see errors, let me know. I feel bad, but it doesn't matter how many times I read this. I need to wait a few weeks before reading it again, and then I can spot errors.


End file.
